Burns Night Box & Recipes

Celebrate the life & poetry of Robert Burns with our new Burns Night Box

Amid New Year’s diets and turns towards healthier lifestyles, we know the true foodies among us will be looking for the next celebration that centres around the dinner table. January can seem like a long month without something to look forward to, so why not indulge in a Burns Night feast this year? We’ve introduced a brand-new Burns Night Box, filled with everything you need to make your own cock-a-leekie soup and Haggis with neeps and tatties, all with 100% organic ingredients…

What is Burns Night?

In short, Burns Night is the celebration of the life and poetry of Scotland’s ‘national bard’ Robert Burns. The celebrations first began in 1801, when the poet’s friends gathered on his birthday to raise a glass of whisky to him. They celebrated with a supper of his favourite food, including cock-a-leekie soup and haggis with neeps and tatties, which are now a staple to any Burns Night meal. Today, Burns Night boasts the best of seasonal, Scottish food and drink on the 25^th of January (Robert Burns’ birthday) each year.

Aside from the delicious spread of food, what we love most about Burns Night is the bard himself. In his hometown of Ayrshire, he was affectionately known as “the ploughman’s poet” due to his farming background. As organic farmers ourselves, we love the idea of Robert Burns the farmer as well as Robert Burns the iconic poet.

Burns Night Box

To make your perfect Burns Night menu easier, we’ve introduced a brand-new organic food box just in time for the celebration. Our Burns Night Box comes with all you need for a traditional feast, including a gluten-free, organic haggis, baking potatoes, swede and organic butter to whip up haggis, neeps and tatties. Also included are the ingredients to make the classic Burns Night starter of cock-a-leekie soup: organic chicken thighs and drumsticks, leeks, carrots, prunes, thyme and bay leaves.

You can also get our organic, gluten-free Haggis individually if you’re looking to create your own Burns Night food. The organic Haggis is homemade with only organic ingredients, combining minced lamb offal and mixed seasoning and spices to make the perfect winter dish. Its excellent nutty texture and delicious savoury flavour is delicious served with the classic pairing of neeps and tatties.

Haggis, Neeps and Tatties Recipe

To cook our gluten-free Haggis, wrap in foil and put in an ovenproof dish with some space around it, then pour in boiling water so it comes about 2.5cm up the sides of the dish. Cook at 180 degrees for 1 hour 45 mins until piping hot throughout, topping up water as needed. Cut down the middle and scoop out the filling to serve.

For the neeps and tatties, simply peel and chop both the potatoes and the swede then cook separately until both are soft. Once soft, mash the potatoes with a splash of milk and butter, plus your choice of seasoning. Also mash the swede with butter and seasoning but avoid using milk.

Cock-a-leekie Soup Recipe

This warming dish perfectly complements the seasons as well as being one of the bard’s most favoured meals. Cook-a-leekie soup is relatively easy to create, and even easier using the contents of our pre-selected Burns Night Box.

Ingredients:

• Organic Chicken Thighs and Drumsticks, 1.1kg
• Organic Leeks, 500g sliced
• Organic Carrots, 500g sliced and peeled
• Organic Prunes, 200g shredded
• Organic Thyme, 30g chopped
• Organic Bay Leaves, 3
• Water and Chicken Stock Cubes or Chicken Bone Broth, 2L
• Salt & Pepper, to season

Method:

1. Place the organic chicken thighs and drumsticks into a medium-large saucepan and add the water or bone broth with enough to completely cover the chicken.
2. Add the bay leaves to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil on a high heat, then cover and simmer for around an hour or until the chicken is cooked through.
3. Remove the chicken from the saucepan and check it’s cooked by ensuring the juices run clear when pricked with a sharp knife. If the juices aren’t clear or you spot any pink meat, continue for cook for 10-15 minutes.
4. Add the organic leeks, carrots and prunes to the cooking liquid, adding chicken stock cubes if using water.
5. Bring the organic vegetables to the boil then cover and cook for around 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
6. Pull the organic chicken meat away from the bone and chop into small chunks. Remove the bay leaves from the saucepan and add any additional seasoning if needed.
7. Add the organic chicken back into the pan with the organic veg and stir well. Heat through until piping hot, then serve.

Shop our Burns Night Box, organic Haggis and everything you need for the celebration in our Burns Night Collection here.